Isaiah 45:23

Isaiah 45:23
	;
Album	The Life of the World to Come
Released	2009
Artist	the Mountain Goats
Length	3:38
Previous Track	"Deuteronomy 2:10"
Next Track	"Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace"

Isaiah 45:23 is the 11th song on the album The Life of the World to Come.

Bible Verse[]

By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. ^{NIV Translation}

Lyrics[]

If my prayer be not humble make it so
In these last hours if the Spirit waits in check help me let it go
And should my suffering double let me never love You less
Let every knee be bent, and every tongue confess

And I won't get better but someday I'll be free
'Cause I am not this body that imprisons me

I read the magazines somebody brought
Hold them to my failing eyes until my hands get hot
And when the nurse comes in to change my sheets and clothes
The pain begins to travel, dancing as it goes

And I won't get better but someday I'll be free
'Cause I am not this body that imprisons me

If my prayer goes unanswered that's alright
If my path fills with darkness and there is no sign of light
Let me praise You for the good times, let me hold Your banner high
Until the hills are flattened and the rivers all run dry

And I won't get better but someday I'll be free
'Cause I am not this body that imprisons me

Comments by John Darnielle About this Song[]

"We continue on the general theme of difficult relationships with one's physical body, a fertile theme for those of us who have difficult relationships with our physical bodies." -- 2009-11-27 - 9:30 Club - Washington, D.C.
"This is about chronic illness." -- 2009-12-02 - Bell House - Brooklyn, NY
"I was at the doctor's office getting treated for something, I don't remember what, and I was reading the hospital's in-house health & happenings newsletter, because my disposition demands that if there is a newspaper lying around, I have to read it. And I saw that there were chronic pain groups meeting once weekly - several of them. 'Learning to live with' something or another. I get these vivid pictures in my mind sometimes, and I thought: when you hear that you're going to need to learn to live with something, that's probably when you'll want to gird up your armor. I thought of all the people much braver and stronger than me, sitting in those rooms sorting through their pain. I thought of my own health, and of diminishing returns, and I wrote this song." -- 7/29/2009 - The Life of the World to Come: a film by Rian Johnson, liner notes

Things Referenced in this Song[]

Live Shows this Song Was Played at[]

Videos of this Song[]

The Life of the World to Come

Track list: "1 Samuel 15:23" • "Psalms 40:2" • "Genesis 3:23" • "Philippians 3:20-21" • "Hebrews 11:40" • "Genesis 30:3" • "Romans 10:9 " • "1 John 4:16" • "Matthew 25:21" • "Deuteronomy 2:10" • "Isaiah 45:23" • "Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace"
Bonus tracks: "Enoch 18:14" • "Proverbs 6:27"
The Life of the World in Flux: "Daniel 12:8 (third)" • "Matthew 11:14-19"